Refrigerated container support and generator housings for flat deck railway cars



Feb. 25, 1969 J. E. GUTRIDGE 3,429,281

REFRIGERATED CONTAINER SUPPORT AND GENERATOR HOUSINGS FOR FLAT DECK RAILWAY CARS Filed April 21,, 1967 Sheet of 3 INVENTOR 33 JACK E. Gum/j 7 Feb. 25, 1969 J. E. GUTRIDGE 3,429,281

REFRIGERATED CONTAINER SUPPORT AND GENERATOR HOUSINGS FOR FLAT DECK RAILWAY CARS Filed April 21, 1967 Sheet 2 Of 5 Feb. 25, 1969 J E. GUTRIDGE 3,429,281

REFRIGERATED CONTAINER SUPPORT AND GENERATOR HOUSINGS Filed April 21. 1967 FOR FLAT DECK RAILWAY CARS Sheet fig. 9 r V O R l 3e '9 3 3o \PIB 34 It 29 y """i;:" -1ITn \32 h. w I um \T INVENTOR JACK E. GUTR/ GE BY AMW/ 3,429,281 REFRIGERATED CONTAINER SUPPORT AND GENERATOR HOUSINGS FOR FLAT DECK RAILWAY CARS Jack E. Gutridge, Dyer, Ind., assignor to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 632,673 US. Cl. 105-366 Int. Cl. B60p 3/20; B651 1/00 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to means for supporting and carrying containers on the fiat deck of a railway car with the containers having self-contained refrigeration units of the type particularly adapted for ship transportation. Such containers may also be shipped by truck or railway car but require suitable electrical connection to a generating unit for operating the self contained refrigeration systems. The field of art to which this invention pertains, therefore, has to do with the provisions of a land vehicle such as a truck or railway car wherein enclosure means are provided to house generating units, said enclosure means also having additional functions for facilitating the loading and connection of the containers onto the vehicle.

Description of the prior art Heretofore containers have been supported on fiat decks of vehicles, such as railway cars or trucks, by various container brackets and mounting means. Such constructions are disclosed in the patents of Kirchner 1,252,810, Smith 1,486,046 and Liebegott 2,017,414. Other container mounting constructions have included sliding racks which support the container and which are connected to cushioning devices carried by the vehicle where upon high speed impacts the rack is free to move longitudinally relative to the car and the lading within the container is so cushioned as to prevent damage. Such a cushioned rack construction is disclosed in the Gutridge Patent 3,163,129, patented Dec. 29, 1964. The present invention provides for the adaptation of a sliding or cushioned rack to containers having self contained refrigeration units which require suitable electrical connection to generating units, and includes housings for said generating units, with said housings being particularly constructed to facilitate crane loading of the containers.

SUMMARY The invention relates to an improved supporting structure for carrying a plurality of containers on the flat deck of a railway car or similar vehicle, the said supporting structure comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced housings between which self contained refrigeration containers are supported. The housings are provided with container supporting brackets which with the housings nited States Patent O ice are carried by a cushioned rack supported on the flat deck of the car. The housings also enclose portions of a refrigeration unit such as a generator which supplies electrical current to a container which is positioned between two of the housings, each said housing also including structural members adapted to guide containers into proper shipping position on the flat car during crane loading operations. The above are some of the advantages and purposes of the invention and others will become apparent from a reading of the following disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a railway flat car showing a plurality of containers supported thereon with a plurality of supporting structures carried on a slidable rack;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view schematically showing a crane loading operation wherein the crane lowers a container into position on a railway car;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a railway fiat car having refrigeration containers carried thereon;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a generator housing and supporting structure carried on a sliding rack supported on a railway car;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged plan View of a railway car showing a container supporting structure and housing carried on a slidable rack, the said housing having an electrical generating unit contained therein;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5 showing one end of a bolster having a corner portion of a container supported thereon;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing an end portion of a bolster adapted to support the corner portion of a container;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a housing for electrical generators positioned on a rack and with its cover portions removed; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view through a portion of a generator housing and rack assembly taken substantially along line 9--9 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a railway flat car is generally designated by the reference character 10. The fiat car 10 comprises conventional wheel trucks 11 and a fiat deck 12 on which a sliding rack 13 is mounted for longitudinal reciprocation relative to the deck 12. The sliding rack 13 is suitably cushioned relative to end of car impacts and such construction is fully disclosed and described in the Gutridge Patent 3,163,129, patented Dec. 29, 1964.

The sliding rack 13 includes a pair of longitudinally extending channel members 14 suitably connected together by crossbars 13 shown in FIG. 5 with said longitudinal members 14 being supported by a plurality of rollers 15 rollably supported on the fiat deck 12 of the car.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 8, a housing is generally designated at 16 and as shown in FIG. 2, three of these housings 16 are supported on the deck 12 of the flat car 10-. Each housing 16 comprises a base generally designated at 17, the said base including longitudinally spaced transversely extending channels 18 which are con nected at their ends to U-shaped side base members 19. The connection of the members, of the housing elements herein described, to each other may be by welding or other suitable securing means. Projecting upwardly from the base 17 on laterally spaced sides of the housing 16, as best shown in FIG. 8, are upright side members 20. Each upright side member 20 includes a web 21 and inwardly directed flanges 22. The outer flanges 22 are provided at their upper ends with an inwardly curved portion 23 forming a guide surface as will be explained below. The upright side members are suitably braced by means of transversely extending members 24 having curved upper portions 25, and said members 24 as best shown in FIG. 8 are suitably interconnected by means of a supporting bar 26. The upper ends of the side members 20 are each provided with upwardly projecting hoisting hooks 27 which may be suitably connected to a crane hoisting means for removing or placing into position the housings 16. Each of the upright members 20 also has connected thereto a grab hook 28 which may be utilized for manual positioning of the housings on the rack 13 as desired.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 4 through 9, tubular cross-bolsters are generally designated at 29. Each housing 16 is suitably secured to two cross-bolsters 29, which have recessed container seating portions 30 and being provided at opposite ends with ears 31 serving to retain containers in position as will be described. The bolsters 29 are suitably connected to the longitudinal channel members 14 by securing means 32 as best shown in FIG. 9. The side members 20 on each side of the housing 16 are suitably connected by means of gusset 33 which is also connected to an angle shaped member 34, as best shown in FIG. 8.

As indicated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the channel members 18 have connected thereto outwardly projecting straps 35 which overlap the bolsters 29 and by suitable removable securing members 36 connect the housing 16 to and in between two of said bolsters. Thus, the housings generally have been described in detail with reference to their particular structural elements. In addition, each housing is provided with a covered enclosure by means of front and rear end walls 37 as best shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 9. The end walls 37 may be suitably attached by screws 37 to the outer flanges 22 and curved upper portions 25 of the members 24. A cover 38 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and includes a top panel 39' having a top section 40 hingedly connected as indicated at 41 to the panel 39. Further, a top section 42 is hingedly connected as indicated at 43 to the top section 40. The top section 42 also is hingedly connected as indicated at 45 to side sections 44 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) said section 44 extending downwardly along the upright members 20 on opposite sides of the housing. The side section 44 on one side of the housing, as shown in FIG. 1, is provided with a screened opening 46. The side section on the opposite side of the housing, as best shown in FIG. 5, is provided with an opening 47. The cover 38 is suitably connected to the housing 16 for quick removal, or may be opened as shown in FIG. 4, to provide ready access to the interior.

A generator set, generally designated at 48, is positioned within each of the housings 16 and is placed at an angle to permit ready service when required. Each generator set is provided with an air intake means 49 and 50 and with an exhaust duct 51 projecting through the opening 47 for exhausting to the atmosphere. The generator further includes an oil intake 52. As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the flat car and rack 13 supports a plurality of containers indicated at 53. The particular containers 53 are of a type utilized frequently in container ship operations wherein self contained refrigeration units (not shown) are supported within the containers, these refrigeration units being electrically powered by generators carried on board ship, or as in the present case, by generators 48 which are enclosed within the housing 16.

When the flat car is to be utilized for carrying containers 53 the housings 16 are merely lifted into predetermined positions on the rack 13 after the bolsters 29 have been placed in position. The straps 35 are then secured to the bolsters and the housing containing the generating unit is ready for operation. The containers 53 which are provided with air intake openings 54 and exhaust openings 55 are then loaded into position between the housings as indicated in FIG. 2. As the containers are lowered into position they engage the curved guiding portions 23 of the brackets adjacent one end of the container and thus serve to guide the containers down into the recessed seating portions 30 of the bolsters 29, the recessed portions 30 having vertical surfaces in the same vertical plane as the lower portions of the flanges 22. Thus the containers are positioned against relative longitudinal displacement with respect to the cushioned rack 13. Lateral stability is provided by means of the ears 31 as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

The generator may be of a conventional internal combustion engine type and an electrical cable 56, as shown in FIG. 5, connects each generator set 48 to an air conditioning unit within each container 53. As best shown in FIG. 2, crane loading may be effected by an on-site crane 57 having a sling 58 connected to the container 53 for raising and lowering the same. In FIG. 3 cushioning devices 59 for the rack 13 are disclosed and this structure is described in more detail in the aforementioned patent of applicant.

As disclosed, the generator housings 16 are quickly connected to the rack and to the bolster units for adapting the same to the type of container disclosed. The housings are designed to enclose and protect each generator set, at the same time providing positive guiding means to assure proper positioning of the containers with respect to the bolsters of the cushioned rack. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, when three containers are carried on the flat car, three generator housings are utilized, with six bolsters 29 supporting the ends of the containers. Obviously one container would require one housing and one bolster at each end of the container.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway car having a substantially fiat deck adapted to support a refrigerated container, said deck including a longitudinally extending rack structure movably supported for longitudinal sliding movement on said deck, and cushioning means on said car engaged by said sliding rack for protecting lading within said container support on said rack,

a plurality of housing and container supporting bolsters removably mounted on said rack in longitudinally spaced relation with one another and extending transversely of the car,

each bolster being provided with a container seating portion and a housing supporting portion,

said bolsters being arranged on said rack for alternately supporting a container between two of said bolsters and for supporting a housing adjacent the container being supported on a bolster supporting one end of the container and on another bolster for supporting the end of another container,

a housing positioned between a pair of bolsters and mounted on the respective housing supporting portions,

means for connecting a component of a refrigeration system within the housing to a container carried by the bolsters to provide for refrigeration of said container,

each housing including a base,

a frame extending upwardly from said base,

said base being mounted on and connected to the re spective housing supporting portions of a pair of adjacent bolsters,

said bolster container seating portion of a bolster being cooperative with an adjacent container seating portion for carrying a container therebetween to support the ends of a container against lateral and longitudinal movement relative to the rack,

said frame having a pair of laterally spaced side means each being supported by a respective bolster of two adjacent bolsters carrying a housing therebetween and each side means including a pair of longitudinal spaced upwardly extending side members each being supported by a bolster of a pair of said adjacent housing supporting bolsters,

removable enclosure means carried by the side members, and

means on said side members providing guide means extending above the bolster seating portions and adapted to be engaged by a container during loading of the same to position said container between two of said housings on adjacent bolster seating portions.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and

said guide means including inclined upper end portions.

3. The invention according to claim 1, and

said bolster container seating portion comprising a recessed container end support seat having a vertical References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1963 Gutridge 105366 X 7/1966 Black et a1 105-366 9/1966 Dempster et al 105-366 DRAYTONE E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

